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Why the Physical?
To expand on this brief article title, it is to say, "Why did God create the physical universe?" We know that there has to be a reason, correct? But before I dive into why I believe He did, I would like to show you something that has already happened in what I have written already.
What I am talking about is "expansion". What I mean by this is, we have the question "why the physical?", which is the title of the article, now we see an expansion of that question, done by writing "Why did God create the physical universe?".
Now let's actually see what happened by another example. I will use a framed painting as the example. When we are quite a distance from the painting, we can tell that it is a picture, and we judge that by seeing the frame around the picture, but we are still a distance from it, and we cannot tell what it is a picture of. As we move closer, we start to see the picture take form, but we still cannot tell whether it is a photograph or a painting. It isn't until we get quite a bit closer that we can tell, when we get really close, we see the brush marks in the painting.
The question "why the physical" is like being quite a distance from the painting; it is a small understanding. Now the question "Why did God create the physical universe?", is an expansion of the first question, and it is expanded by adding more words to it. It is by adding more words to it that the question itself becomes clearer, and what I mean by that is, it is better understood. We have a larger understanding of the question. So, in conclusion, we can understand that by the adding of words, we get a clearer understanding of the question.
The reason for this is to understand that things can take place that are not always obvious. Our mind can register a change, but do we stop and think about the change, or do we just move on with what we are reading? Another thing that happened in the last paragraph is the use of the words "larger" and "clearer", they have become synonyms, but only because they have been used "in the context" of "moving closer".
There are so many things that take place while we are reading and our mind just keeps moving on, not slowing down to see a clearer picture. Now I have to ask, even though we keep moving, are we getting closer to the picture, meaning are we getting a better understanding? The reason I ask this question is because, seeing something from a different viewpoint, a different perspective can result in seeing that, even though we are constantly moving, does not necessarily mean we are moving closer to the object we want a clearer picture of.
Here is an example, just because the earth is constantly moving, does not mean it is getting closer to the sun, it is orbiting the sun. In other words, it is moving sideways in relation to the sun.
Now if our Lord Christ Jesus is the sun and we are the earth, are we moving closer to Christ or are we moving sideways, always the same distance from Him, but not getting closer to Him?
We can read the Bible as much as we want, and we may be doing just that, but do we see ourselves getting closer to Christ or just constantly moving? Just like the sun, Christ is the center of our beliefs. I now want you to picture our earth as your beliefs. Just like the planet revolves/orbits around the sun, our beliefs revolve around Christ.
Now, since the earth is made up of physical matter, do we see that our beliefs can be of the physical nature, which can also be understood as "the flesh nature". And if the earth had a decaying orbit, causing it to get closer to the sun, it eventually would burn up. So, in the same way, as we are getting closer to Christ, is our flesh nature being burned away?
And in the same sense, if the earth is "our understanding", if it is our understanding of the flesh nature being burned up as we move closer to Christ, doesn't it stand to reason that we can better understand ourselves by the physical aspects around us?
As you have been reading, have you noticed that the earth has been example of "us", it has been an example of "our beliefs", it has been an example of "the physical nature", it has been an example of "the flesh nature", it has been an example of "our understanding"; and "our understanding of the flesh nature". Do we understand all these examples as true happenings as we draw closer to Christ?
So, it is at this point I have to ask, has God connected all this in your mind? Have you had the revelation that the reason God created the physical is to better understand ourselves and who we are? And to better understand our own journey, our own walk, in relation to Christ? To better understand God and who He is and what He is doing and how He is doing it? Would this not be a perfect example of the verse, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."? (1 Corinthians 14:33).
So now it begs the question; Do things confuse you? And if so, why are you confused? Is not confusion a condition of not knowing what the actual truth is? I truly believe so. And if God is not the author of confusion, who is? Who do you go to, to hear the truth? Do they bring you peace in their understanding or just more confusion?
It is my belief that peace comes from "knowing" the truth. If you are at peace with what you know, but confusion is always still present in your heart and mind, does it not stand to reason that the confusion will burn up, the closer you get to God?
Most people are happy with what they know and what they believe, and I have no judgments towards them simply because of what I have already written. Just like the earth and the sun have a relationship in this solar system, so do others and they don't even know it.
For me, I was given a hunger to know the truth, it was an insatiable hunger that I had to feed. For others, they have not been given this hunger yet, do not be discouraged if you have not received it. You will receive it, whether in this physical life or in the spiritual life that is to come, what I mean by that is, you will receive it before your physical body dies or you will receive it after your physical body dies.
Even the apostle Paul understood this in his first letter to Timothy; "Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4).
It is my opinion that what we are being saved from is our own ignorance of the truth, our own lack of understanding of the truth. I will say it once more and it is worthwhile to be repeated, the reason God created the physical universe is to understand everything spiritual, it is why I believe God rested on the seventh day, He had created everything we need to understand, in order to understand everything spiritual.
Which brings to mind, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Which I believe can be understood this way; "The thing that hath been (a physical understanding outside of us) it is that which shall be (a spiritual understanding inside of us); and that which is done (God's creating of the physical outside of us) is that which shall be done (the creating of the spiritual inside of us): and there is no new thing under the sun. (no need for any new physical examples).
And if all this makes sense to you and you believe it, it opens up the Bible in a way you never thought possible.